VMWare repo

[Ed Greshko]

Dotan Cohen wrote:
> On 05/02/07, Ed Greshko <Ed.Greshko at greshko.com> wrote:
>> Dotan Cohen wrote:
>> > Does anyone know of a repo where one could aquire VMWare player and
>> > tools for FC6? All the instructions that I've found for installing
>> > VMWare products involve messing around with the kernel, something that
>> > I'd rather not do.
>>
>> Installing VMware products does not involve "messing around with the
>> kernel".  It does involve compiling kernel modules that VMware needs to
>> communicate with the "Virtual Machine" or as VMware would call it, the 
>> guest
>> O/S.
>>
>> Even if there were a repo for it, the process of installing VMware 
>> from the
>> repo would involve compiling the modules.  So, the end result would be 
>> the same.
>>
>> FWIW, if you want to install VMware products, my advice is to simply 
>> follow
>> their instructions.  It is probably just me, but I prefer to do the same
>> with the Nvidia drivers.  I am fond of running "non standard" things 
>> when I
>> am more aware of what is going on.
> 
> I don't remember how I installed VMWare player on my Kubuntu box, but
> I'm certain that I did not have to sess with the kernel. In fact, I
> think I simply installed it via apt-get. If it's important to
> somebody, then I can check.

Let me restate, *you* may have not messed with the kernel when running 
apt-get...but certainly in the process of running apt-get the 
"vmware-config" script must have been run.  In that process, unless the 
modules "vmnet, vmmon" (and potentially others) supplied match the running 
kernel they must be compiled by "vmware-config".  This process may be hidden 
from your view by "apt-get" but it does happen.  I've been using VMware 
products since the 2.X days when there was no such animal as "VMware player" 
and I'm currently doing beta testing on Workstation 6.0 and nothing has 
changed.  VMware requires modules that need to be compiled to match the 
running kernel.  If the modules supplied by VMware don't match, they need to 
be recompiled and if *you* don't do it...then it is being done for you 
behind the scenes and being hidden from you.  But, in any case the kernel 
itself is *not* being messed with.  It is simply that modules need to be 
compiled to match the running kernel....  Yes, I'm repeating myself.

-- 
Sometime in 1993 NANCY SINATRA will lead a BLOODLESS COUP on GUAM!!